'It was a jungle out there': Photos show crowded Port Aransas beach as Texas reopens during COVID-19 pandemic

Texas beaches opened this past weekend and, judging by photos of Port Aransas, many Texans took advantage.

Port Aransas beach, near Corpus Christi, had been closed for daily use for nearly four weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic. On Saturday, one local captured the "craziness" of the amount of people who flooded the area.

Neesy Tompkins, who lives near the Horace Caldwell Pier, told mySA.com she took photos of the crowds on Saturday for her Facebook business page Port Aransas Beaches. She said many were not practicing social distancing or wearing a face mask. Gov. Greg Abbott recommended for Texans to do both when he announced his "Open Texas" plan last week.

"It was a jungle out there," she said. "No one paid attention to staying 6 feet away from others, and I only saw one person wearing a mask. I don't get it or understand it. If it's recommended, people should practice it."

Neesy Tompkins

During its closure, Port Aransas officials only allowed visitors to use the beach for exercising purposes. Tompkins said the beach was "peaceful" and "clean" during that time. This weekend, Tompkins said the scene was is in stark contrast to what the beach was like during most of April.

Neesy Tompkins

"There is trash everywhere," she said. "I get that people want to come out and enjoy the beach, but my concern is that it's (the COVID-19 cases) going to spike up again because people aren't paying attention to those small details that keep you safe."